Insomnia
by Magister of Discord
Summary: A common misunderstanding leads to a few sleepless nights for both of our beloved knights. Are they able to resolve it? Will their relationship last? Or will it crumble and lead to insomnia once more? Contains Shoujo-ai/Yuri. Shamal/Signum/?


"Do you need anything else before we retire for the night?" Signum's hand was on the doorknob, her grip not too tight, and she was facing away from her companion as well.

The present occupant of the room, a blonde woman who was also a medical officer for the TSAB, hesitated for a second before slowly shaking her head. She was working on replenishing the spent cartridges of her fellow knights, a job that wasn't hers anymore but she still did it for reasons only she knew. She gently placed the cartridge that she was working with on the desk and softly smiled at the other woman. "Actually, there is one thing..."

"What is it?" Signum's grip on the steel handle tightened slightly; she had a hunch and hoped that she wasn't right.

"Could you please stay with me in this room just for tonight?" Shamal decided to try adding a pout to her pleading eyes and prayed that it would convince the stoic knight.

Signum's posture went rigid. "I— I do apologize... I—ah..." _Why am I acting like this? It's just Shamal... besides, it's not like we haven't shared the room before..._"I don't mean to be rude or anything but—" Shamal rose from her seat and placed a hand on the taller woman's shoulder. Signum inwardly cringed at her companion's face.

"It's alright. I didn't mean to ask you that." _What am I doing? We're already this awkward and I shouldn't make things worse._ Shamal tried to put on her bravest smile but was failing miserably. "I understand if you're not comfortable with me at the moment." She squeezed the shoulder for a second before letting her hand drop back to her side.

"I wouldn't blame you..." Shamal softly added. Signum nodded at her in response. Whatever she was about to say was stuck in her throat when she saw the dejected look on the blonde's face.

No one dared to speak at the moment. Signum found the doorknob fascinating for the umpteenth time while Shamal found the floor interesting. If you would look closer, the smaller woman looked like she was about to cry.

Signum swallowed the lump in her throat. "I—ah should probably go down now... I mean, we should get some rest. We can also talk in the morning... if you want that is."

"Right." Shamal halfheartedly answered. She slowly went back to her desk to pack up the fixed cartridges. It took a full minute for Signum to debate with herself whether she should honor her companion's request or not. She shook her head, clearly disappointed.

"Good night, Shamal..." Signum waited for the other woman to respond. The heavy tense air was the only response that she had received. Shamal was busy cleaning up her desk and pointedly ignored her. _What just happened?_

"I'm sorry..." Signum sighed before she slowly closed the door without a single creak to be heard and descended towards the living room where her usual sleeping place was located: the couch.

"I am too..." Shamal whispered to no one before she turned the lights off and slid under her covers, tears were sliding down her face.

Insomnia by Magister of Discord

Signum wasn't able to sleep well for the past nights. All she did was shift endlessly on _her_ couch and tried to block the other woman from her mind. No one could blame her why she was acting like some giddy schoolgirl. A few nights ago, the blonde had just confessed to her about her feelings and she rejected her! This was clearly something the pink-haired knight was never good at. Sure, she could take down someone (or something) that was ten times larger and stronger than her in a fair fight. Talking about emotions and feelings are a completely different matter.

Tonight was the sixth night that she had spent _sleeping_ on the couch with the same disastrous results. What completely baffled her was the other woman seemed to be losing sleep as well, regardless of the reason _why_. Plus, it wouldn't take a genius to figure out why they were both acting awkward around each other.

She also liked Shamal, simple as that. But if what she feels for the other woman is possibly mutual, why is she having small bouts of insomnia for almost a week? Signum couldn't even figure out if they were even in the same page. _C'mon! Signum, think. Do I really 'like' her like that? Ah! Why is this so difficult?!_

Signum unceremoniously fell on the floor with a dull thud. Softly rubbing her sore head who happened to have kissed the hard ground, Signum grumbled to herself. Lack of sleep could make any person irrational and cranky and she had experienced it once more. _Stop beating around the bush and face the problem head-on! You are a knight. Talk to her tonight... unless you would like to go for a new sleepless record tonight?_

The stoic knight cleared her thoughts and looked really determined, it was honestly scary. _Right. We are going to sort this small 'problem' of ours tonight._ Signum dusted herself from the ground and quietly ascended the stairs leading to _their_ room.

Signum paused in front of the door, the only thing that separated her from the other woman. _It's now or never, I suppose._ Her hand was already on the doorknob. Taking a deep breathe, she twisted the metal object in her hand.

_Here goes nothing..._

_— Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha —_

Shamal readjusted the blanket that was hugging her form. She had lost count of all the sleepless nights that she had silently endured. She wouldn't dare look at the mirror, she might see herself and freak out. _Who wouldn't? I probably look like the living dead and it's my fault as well._ Not too long ago, she had let her most precious secret slip from her tongue. _How careless and stupid could I get? Signum was my closest friend and now she's drifting away from me..._Fresh tears slid out the corner of her eyes and she tried to blink them away.

Her head hurt from lack of sleep but the pain she felt from within her chest was worse. Of course, she was afraid of losing the other knight. Even if she didn't admit it, the other woman was her source of strength. She not only admired the stoic knight's physical strength; what she admired the most was the pink haired knight's strength that came from her noble heart.

Shamal shifted again, her back was facing the door. _If only we could go back to being okay... I miss her already... _Before, as much as she hated to admit, she terribly enjoyed the physical contact they both shared before everything went out of control. The innocent massages and hand-holding were some of the things she missed but what she missed most of all was the feeling of the other knight holding her close on rare occasions, whenever they would share not only the room but the bed as well. _What have I done?_

The blonde woman tried to block the pain she felt in her chest whenever she thought of the other woman, _her_ stoic knight. _How could I have been so selfish? Signum's the best thing that happened to my life—_

The sound of the door slowly opening stopped her train of thought. _Signum?_

_— Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha —_

_I hope you have a really good explanation for Shamal tonight._ It seemed to take forever for the pink-haired woman to close the door. Her heart started pounding faster; every ounce of adrenaline filled her entire system. _Alright. Just as you have rehearsed—_

Signum stopped midway in her thoughts upon hearing the sharp intake of breathe that came not from her but from the woman lying on one of the beds. _Ah! She's awake! I didn't expect her to be awake— what do I do now?_ It took again another full minute for Signum to decide if she should retreat for now and pretend that nothing happened tomorrow morning or face the music.

In the end, the decision was not hers to make tonight. "S-signum? I-is th-that y-you?"

Signum's initial shock wore off and her first response was to turn on the lights. Someone squealed. Bad mistake.

"Ow. P-please t-turn off the lights... My eyes hurt..." Shamal tried to hide her face with the blanket, an attempt to shield her crying face from the other woman and to block out the harsh light. Signum quickly switched off the light in embarrassment and blurted a quick apology._That went well..._

"I'm sorry if I disturbed your sleep. I just wanted to properly apologize..." It took three strides for her to reach the blonde woman's bedside. "...and I know that this is a really bad time..." She hastily sat on the other bed that was empty and faced the other woman, her eyes quickly adapted to the darkness. "...but I would like to clear a lot of things tonight."

Shamal was dumbfounded. She couldn't understand how and why they were in this situation. For all she knew, the other woman hated her and was avoiding her like the plague but she was wrong. She leaned and placed a comforting hand on top of the other knight's own, the other woman grew incredibly tense after she had sat opposite her. "I understand... and please try to relax. I won't bite." Shamal winked at the other woman.

Signum was a nervous wreck. She had played out several scenarios (minus the naughty ones) in her head before confronting the blonde but she wasn't ready for what had happened next. To say that she lost control of the situation was a huge understatement. The hand resting underneath Shamal's own had grown tense. She seriously wasn't ready for this kind of battle. _What did I do to deserve this?_

_Why is she so adorable every time she gets flustered?!_It took quite a bit of Shamal's awesome willpower not to ravish the woman sitting opposite her but she had to admit that she was impressed. It certainly took a lot of guts to do what Signum had accomplished tonight. Hopefully, they could really _kiss_ and make up tonight. Shamal blushed from her thoughts. The sound of someone awkwardly coughing brought her back to reality.

_— Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha —_

"Um, you see... I— how should I say this..." Signum stared at their hands. During the course of their conversation, one of them had unconsciously intertwined their fingers with each other and it was proving to be a great distraction, to one of them at least. "...What I really wanted to do was to answer your feelings tonight." Signum's face felt hot.

Shamal's heart, mercifully, almost leaped out of its cage. She was anxious to hear what the other woman would say next. _What if she likes me too? What if she doesn't? Where would it leave us?_ She involuntarily gripped the other woman's hand tighter.

"Well, you see... First of all, you have been a great friend to me... and I— are you crying?" Signum's chest tightened painfully at the sight in front of her. She had already seen the other woman cry quite a few times... but what makes it different tonight? She rose from her sitting position to gently wipe the other knight's tear with her free hand while her other hand's thumb started rubbing in small circular motions. "Don't cry please... I don't know if I should tell you this... but my heart threatens to break whenever I see you cry... I know that I am always at fault but please... just once, please don't cry anymore... I'm sorry..."

Shamal continued to silently sob. She couldn't stop even though she wanted to, much to the distress of her companion. "I-I'm sorry too... I didn't mean to put you in this situation... It's my entire fault, really... I deserved this. I was—"

"No!" Signum frowned deepened. "...Listen to yourself..." Signum's free hand combed the other woman's slightly wet fringes away from her face. "...listen to me..." She gently tucked them behind her ear. "...listen to us..." Her hand cupped the side of Shamal's face. "We don't deserve this... all this sadness and anger, bitterness and pain... because..." Signum slowly leaned closer, their foreheads were already touching. "...because we deserve something even better than all of those."

Shamal's tears stopped and she stared at her precious knight's eyes to look for any hints of uncertainty. When she found none, she tried to close the distance between them in an agonizingly slow manner so that she wouldn't startle the other knight. When she was almost there, a finger suddenly acted as a barrier between their lips. She blinked and shot a questioning look at the other woman.

Signum nervously chuckled. "I haven't answered your feelings yet, have I?" Shamal let out a frustrated breathe. _And that's how you kill the mood._ She fought the urge to roll her eyes at the other knight. Up until now, Signum was a romantic and was also a strict follower of the good old traditional ways.

Shamal sighed. "Alright, dear kind knight. Would you please enlighten me tonight?" Signum released their joined hands and pulled her to stand. Shamal was confused for a moment before she decided to play along. Signum then took both of her hands and held it tight against her chest.

"As I was saying before, you are dear to me and—" Signum swallowed another lump from her throat. "—what I'm trying to say is..."

The pink haired knight's eyes went wide when Shamal's hands were suddenly laced around her neck and she was pulled close, her own hands were forced to awkwardly rest on the blonde woman's waist. "Signum, go on please..."

Signum didn't miss a beat and summoned all of her courage to finish what she was saying. She was a woman on a mission tonight and she would succeed, she needed to or else she wouldn't be able to sleep well again. She pulled Shamal closer; their bodies were flushed against each other and stared at her eyes once more. "Shamal, if you need to be loved... here I am."

Shamal forgot to breathe.

_— Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha —_

_Is this real? Did I really hear what she just said to me?_ Shamal's arm tightened around the other knight's neck. "I... I don't know what to say..."

The other woman chuckled. "You're not supposed to say something." She started running her hands up and down Shamal's back, tracing her spine which in turn sent gentle tingles to the blonde. "Honestly, I didn't know that you were such a mood killer..."

Shamal responded by pinching the other woman's nape for a few seconds. "And making fun of me makes you happy, no?" She narrowed her eyes to meet the other knight's mischievous ones. Another deep rumble resounded from the taller woman's throat. Shamal couldn't figure out if she found the sound amusing or insulting. She pinched harder; a small frown marred her face.

Signum scowled at her. She strategically positioned her hands back to the blonde doctor's sides. Shamal stuck her tongue at the other woman.

"Now, now Signum... I wouldn't do that if I were you..." The blonde doctor took a sharp intake of air. _She wouldn't try to do that, wouldn't she?_ Her eyes went wide. "...I mean, let's not be hasty..."

Signum began kneading the other woman's sides. "Whatever do you mean? I'm not doing anything that you wouldn't _like_, am I?" She smirked when she saw the flustered look on the other woman's face.

Shamal began squirming when she felt the hands that were travelling along her sides began to initiate an emotion that seemed to elude her over the past restless nights. The taller woman hit a very sensitive spot along her sides and it took a huge effort on Shamal's part not to moan at the sensation. "S-signum... Y-you c-can s-stop now..." The other woman merely raised one eyebrow at her.

"Are you sure? But you looked like you were enjoying it..." Shamal stared at the taller woman in exasperation. _Is she serious?_ The other woman chuckled again.

"I'm positive." Signum released the blonde doctor. Shamal was able to breathe easier now that she wasn't holding the air inside her and relaxed her shoulders.

"Alright..." The pink haired woman urged the other towards the bed. Shamal gasped at the sudden change of action but she positioned herself so that there will be space enough for the other knight as well. Signum also climbed onto the bed and took the blanket to cover both of them. "Well, goodnight then."

"Huh? T-that's it?" Shamal was at a loss for proper words. Truth be told, she was expecting _something_ tonight. "I thought that you were going to answer my feelings?"

_What does she want now? I've already obeyed her request to sleep with her tonight. _Signum raised another eyebrow at her. "I already did... isn't that enough?" Shamal frowned again. "Is there _something_ else that I was supposed to do after that?"

Shamal had to restrain herself from strangling the clueless knight. _How thick could she get? Why is this happening to me? Why me? _Instead, she wrapped her arm around the other knight to pull her close and get Signum to face her; the taller woman's back blocked her view. "I— never mind. Goodnight as well…"

Signum responded by facing her and rested her head on top of the blonde's; subconsciously nuzzling it like a kitten. Shamal debated with herself whether to smile at the adorable display or to be disappointed with the lack of _action_ from the other knight, who seemed to have already dozed off.

_— Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha —_

Shamal sighed for the umpteenth time that night. _I guess that this will be another sleepless night for me…_She concentrated on listening to the steady heartbeat of her companion since she was resting against the other woman's strong chest. _At least she's in bed with me…_The doctor's face grew hot at the shameless thought. She shut her eyes and tried to calm her pounding heart, clearly embarrassed at the thought of taking advantage of her sleeping companion. _Control yourself!_

Signum didn't shift in her _sleep _but unconsciously wrapped her arms around the shorter woman's back and pulled her impossibly closer, almost crushing the latter with her inhuman strength. Shamal blushed harder and wished that she could survive another day without sleep. She placed a chaste kiss on the other woman's exposed neck. "I love you… my dear and adorable knight…" she whispered quietly to herself.

A deep rumble rose from the seemingly asleep knight and the blonde doctor's heart almost leaped out of its cage in shock.

"You know…" Shamal panicked when she realized that the other wasn't really asleep yet. "I could give you a kiss if you go to sleep…"

"Really?" The blonde doctor sounded hopeful. Signum suppressed another chuckle before she slowly opened one eye to take a peek at the shorter woman in her arms. She gave her a soft smile, her eyes sparkled with emotion. Shamal visibly shivered. The pink haired gave her a soft peck on the forehead, lingering there for a few seconds. "There. Now go to sleep…"

Shamal's face grew hotter. "Th-thank y-you b-but… I don't think that will be enough to put me to sleep." The blonde mumbled softly. Signum raised another eyebrow at her. The shorter woman quickly met the eyes of her companion, she blushed horribly. "I— I mean—"

Signum gave her a peck just above the right eyebrow. "There." Her tiny kisses trailed lower; she gave her another on the tip of her nose and another on the corner of her lips. "All better?"

Shamal pouted. "Stop teasing me… Geez, you're almost as bad as Hayate-chan…" The pink haired knight simply smirked at her.

"My, my! Someone's greedy tonight? Can't you be _satisfied _with a few tiny kisses? Where would you like—mmph" The blonde finally exploded. She couldn't contain her pent-up frustration anymore. Without missing a beat, she crashed her lips with the taller woman. She tried putting all of her emotion into that single kiss but their inexperience messed up the perfect moment.

Signum couldn't stop smiling through the kiss in amusement. _Who knew that she was this intense? If lack of sleep equivalent to a few days could do this, then how much more passionate could she get if she couldn't sleep for another week? I don't know if I should stick around to find out…_She tried her best to return the passion radiating from the shorter woman. Talking about feelings still bothered her but she wouldn't run away anymore.

She had to go with the flow or risk sleep once more.

_— Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha —_

Oxygen was a requirement for them to breathe and it would've been a shame if they died from lack of it; though dying in the arms of someone you care for would be a great option as well. The two broke the intense lip-lock and tried to intake as much air as they could, making them both look like fishes out of water.

"That was… I don't know… Amazing?" Signum was the first to break the silence; she was still panting hard. Her cheeks were tinged with pink and a thin trail of saliva hung between them when they separated.

"Yes… it was…" Shamal offered her soft smile and their foreheads touched gently, they were so close once more, they seemed to share the same air they breathe in. "Let's do it again…" She tried to lean in once more but was stopped by another meddling finger. _Is she serious?_

"Whatever happened to sleeping?" Signum kept her finger on the shorter woman's lips. They really needed to sleep tonight. She has an early briefing with Hayate tomorrow. It is imperative that she should attend that meeting tomorrow.

"What about it?" Shamal tried to look as innocent as possible. They couldn't stop now; things were finally getting good tonight.

"We should really go to—oomph" Signum was interrupted once more by the insatiable blonde. Signum could've cursed at her fate tonight but it was swallowed by the other woman's addicting lips. She was getting really tired and needed her rest. Something warm, wet and soft invaded her tired mouth. _Wait?! Is that her tongue?!_

Signum shuddered but continued reciprocating the kiss. Shamal smiled at the situation, clearly proud to be the one taking the lead tonight.

When they broke apart again, the blonde looked really serious as she stared at her _bedmate_. "I still have a few ideas…I'm sorry to bother you but... would you mind giving your views on them?" She broke out into a perverted smile, which affected the mood of the other knight. Signum acquiesced.

With an audible sigh from the taller knight, Signum had said, "Alright. Kindly enlighten me…" The shorter knight rolled them over so that she was on top and straddled the pink haired woman. Signum's face went very red.

The blonde knight's grin went wider. She knew that they wouldn't be able to get enough sleep once she is done with her _prey_ tonight. _This'll be fun… Prepare yourself my dear knight..._

Shamal slowly lowered herself onto the other woman, claiming her beloved knight's lips once more.

_There goes a new record..._

_— Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha —_

A/N: I'm still alive! And I'm back! This is a result when you are unable to sleep well at night. Please do enjoy this tiny piece.  
More Signum/Shamal fluff.

Standard Disclaimer insert: _Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha _does not belong to me.

Magister of Discord out!


End file.
